WORK STRESS IN NURSES IN A PUBLIC HOSPITAL IN THE BORDER AREA OF MEXICO, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Introduction: The stress placed on nursing professionals has various negative consequences which include circulatory and gastrointestinal diseases, other physical, psychosomatic, and psychosocial disorders, as well as low productivity. Objective: To determine the level of work stress and the main stressors presented by nursing personnel in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology:Study with a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional approach, given the cases of 126 nurses, with functions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a structured online questionnaire was applied that contained a personal and work data card, and the Nurses Stress Scale ( NSS) with a reliability of .91. Results: 81% of the participants were female, most of whom worked the night shift, 58.7% referred to working 12 hours in their day, 44.4% had 7 or more patients in their custody, while 16 % claimed to have been infected with COVID-19. The prevailing stress level was rated medium among participants; the 12-hour work day was a factor for presenting stress in the participants. Conclusions: Stress levels are present in health workers, it is needed for interventions focused on coping strategies to reduce the suffering of health workers.